Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary customs and traditions. The most famous images of the Blessed Virgin at the moment of receiving the good news

“The Council of the Eternal, revealing to You, Otrokovitsa, Gabriel appeared... ”sings the Holy Church at the beginning of the festive service of the great feast of the Annunciation.

Until the age of 14, the Blessed Virgin was brought up in the temple, and then, according to the law, she had to leave the temple, as she had reached the age of majority, and either return to her parents or get married. The priests wanted to marry her, but Mary announced to them her promise to God - to remain forever a Virgin. Then the priests betrothed Her distant relative, the 80-year-old Elder Joseph (he already had two daughters and four sons), who was also a descendant of King David, to take care of Her and protect Her virginity.

The Holy Fathers of the Church - Athanasius the Great, Basil the Great, John of Damascus - point out that under the guise of matrimony, the Lord protected the Blessed Virgin Mary from the malice of the enemy of the human race, the devil, hiding from him in such a way that She is the Most Blessed Virgin, prophesied by Isaiah. Living in the Galilean city of Nazareth, in the house of Joseph, the Blessed Virgin Mary led the same modest and secluded life as in the temple.

Once the Blessed Virgin Mary was reading the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, stopped at the place where it was said, “Behold, a virgin will receive and give birth to a Son and they will call His name Emmanuel” (which means God is with us) (Is. 7:14) and pondered the greatness of She, Who will be honored to be the Mother of God. With all her heart, Holy Mary wanted to see the Chosen One of God, and in deep humility she desired to be Her last servant.

And then an angel appears to Her and greets Her: “Rejoice, Blessed One. The Lord is with you; blessed are you among women." These words became the first "good news" for mankind after its fall.

But when she saw him, she was troubled by his words, and pondered what this greeting meant.

And the angel said to her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace with God; and behold, thou shalt conceive in the womb, and thou shalt bear a Son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He will be great, and he will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father; and shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom shall have no end. - Mary said to the Angel: how will it be when I do not know my husband? The angel said to her in response: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the Power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the Holy One who is being born will be called the Son of God ... Then Mary said: Behold, the Servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word. And an angel departed from her” (Luke 1:28-38).

It is believed that it was at this moment that the sacrament of the incarnation of the Son of God took place.

If the righteous Sarah received the news of the birth of Isaac from her with confusion, and the righteous Zechariah, with a similar foreshadowing of the birth of the Forerunner of the Lord, demanded a sign from an angel, then how much higher is the Most Holy Virgin Mary when the annunciation of the birth of Christ from Her - the Savior, the Son of God , supernatural, incomprehensible, Divine, accepts without confusion, without distrust.

It is terrible even to think what could have happened if there had not been found on earth the Most Worthy to receive the highest Gift of God:

According to the interpretation of Irenaeus of Lyons, the obedience of the Virgin Mary balances the disobedience of Eve. Mary becomes the "new Eve". The text of the famous hymn Ave maris stella (9th century) says that the name Eva is an anagram of the word Ave, with which Gabriel addressed the “new Eve”. In other words, to name Eve meant to mention Mary. Jerome deduced a concise formula: "death - through Eve, life - through Mary." Augustine wrote: "through a woman - death, and through a woman - life."

The mystical conception of the Virgin Mary, according to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, refers to the great mystery of piety: in it, humanity brought as a gift to God its purest creation - the Virgin, capable of becoming the mother of the Son of God, and God, having accepted the gift, answered him with the gift of the grace of the Holy Spirit. According to the words of St. John of Damascus, “only God Himself knows how, in what way the indwelling of the Son of God into the womb of the Most Holy Virgin is accomplished, and a person should not argue about the nature of that which is inscrutable and incomprehensible.”

The Orthodox Church firmly believes that Mary remained the Virgin even after the birth of the firstborn Jesus, according to prophecy (Rev. Ezek. 44:2). "And the Lord said to me: This gate will be shut, it will not be opened, and no man will enter through it, for the Lord God of Israel has entered through it, and they will be closed." Three stars are depicted on the icons of the Mother of God - on the shoulders and on the head cover of the Blessed Virgin. They symbolize the virginity preserved by Her before Christmas, at Christmas and after Christmas.

According to St. Theophan the Recluse, the Annunciation is closely connected with the establishment of the sacrament of the Body and Blood. “We partake of the true Body and the true Blood of Christ, the same ones that were received in incarnation from the immaculate blood of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Thus, in the incarnation that took place at the hour of the annunciation, the foundation was laid for the sacrament of the Body and Blood. And now this is brought to memory by all Christians, so that, remembering this, they honor the Most Holy Theotokos as their true Mother, not only as a prayer book and intercessor, but also as a nourisher of all. Children feed on mother's milk, and we feed on the Body and Blood, which are from the Blessed Virgin Mary. Eating in this way, we drink essentially milk from Her breasts.

The date of the feast of the Annunciation is connected with the date of the Nativity of Christ: March 25 is exactly 9 months away from December 25. It is believed that on the same day, March 25, the Creation of the world took place - thus, humanity was given a second chance.

St. John Chrysostom called the Annunciation "the root of the feasts", the beginning of all others. Among the ancient Christians, it bore various names: "Conception of Christ", "Annunciation of Christ", "Beginning of Redemption", "Annunciation of the Angel of Mary", - and only in the 7th century it was forever assimilated the name "Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos". During the 5th-8th centuries, due to heresies that humiliated the Face of the Mother of God, the holiday was especially exalted in the Church. In the 8th century, St. John of Damascus and Theophanes, Metropolitan of Nicaea, composed the feast canons, which are now sung by the Church.

According to the charter, on this day, despite Great Lent, a full liturgy should be celebrated, even if the Annunciation happens on Good Friday (on this day, the liturgy is excluded). In its grandeur, the feast of the Annunciation is not canceled even if it falls on Easter. It very rarely happens that the Annunciation coincides with Easter and the holiday seems to be doubled. Then Easter is called Kyriopaskhoy. Such a coincidence was in 1817, 1828, 1912, 1991. The next Kyriopaskha will be in 2075.

The events of the Annunciation were described by the only evangelist - the apostle Luke. There are also apocryphal texts, but they do not change the general history of the Annunciation, but add a number of details to it. In the Apocrypha - the so-called "Proto-Gospel of James" and the "Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew" ("The Book of the Birth of Blessed Mary and the Childhood of the Savior") tells of two appearances of an Angel. First, Gabriel appeared to the Virgin at the well, and only then in the house of Joseph, where she spun a purple veil for the Jerusalem temple by lot. These apocryphal traditions significantly influenced the iconography of the holiday.

The plot of the Annunciation has long been popular in religious painting. His iconography began to take shape very early. Its main attributes were: lily - a symbol of the virgin Mary's purity; a spinning wheel, a spindle (with red yarn) - an image of the flesh of Christ; the book of the prophet Isaiah, which Mary reads; a branch of paradise in the hand of the archangel Gabriel; the olive branch is a symbol of the reconciliation of God and creation; the well is a symbol of Mary's purity. The first images appeared already in the II century in the Roman catacombs, for example, on the wall of the tomb of St. Priscilla. They were finally formed in the Middle Ages, finding the most complete embodiment in the works of the 15th century.

In the Western European painting of the proto-Renaissance, it is especially worth noting the works of Fra Beato Angelico, Simone Martini; from the Renaissance works - paintings by Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli, and from the northern works - Jan van Eyck, Robert Campin and Rogier van der Weyden. In the next era, several memorable paintings were painted by El Greco. Starting from the Baroque era, as happened with other plots, many liberties and digressions penetrate the interpretation of the plot.

In the icon-painting tradition, it is customary for one wing of the archangel to remain stretched behind his back, and the other to be raised as a sign of greeting. This symbolic movement has entered the Orthodox liturgical system and is performed by the deacon during the pronunciation of litanies. He raises with his right hand an orarion - an image of the uplifting of the Archangel's wing as a sign of greeting and respect. The Annunciation is translated from Greek as good news. Traditionally, in the Orthodox Church, the icon of the Annunciation is placed on the Royal Doors, surrounded by four evangelists. Thus, all the symbolism of the Royal Doors turns out to be connected with the gospel: “... through the Annunciation, the Word became the flesh that we can taste in Communion. And we can take part in this Eternal Meal only because we are called by the apostles-evangelizers. The gates are an additional symbol of the Mother of God (an image from the Old Testament prophecy of Ezekiel about the “enclosed” doors facing the east, through which the Lord enters).

The earliest "Annunciation" in Russian art (1040s) is a mosaic on two pillars in the Kiev Hagia Sophia.

The oldest depiction of a scene in Russian art. In the hands of the Mother of God is a red yarn that came from apocryphal stories.

Among the Russian icons on this subject, it is worth noting the Ustyug Annunciation, painted in the 12th century in Veliky Novgorod, the icons of Rublev and Daniil Cherny, as well as the fresco of Dionysius in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin. The works of Borovikovsky belong to a later time.

The miraculous icon of the Annunciation was previously especially revered in the Moscow Kremlin. Tradition says that in the reign of Ivan the Terrible, she miraculously appeared written on the wall of the Kremlin tower. Her appearance was associated with the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos for her release of some innocently condemned prisoner who was kept in the tower. Having learned about the "self-painted" icon, Tsar Ivan the Terrible released the prisoner. Soon a wooden chapel was built near the miraculous icon, then a stone church, and the tower was called Blagoveshchenskaya.

One of the most famous temples dedicated to this holiday is founded as a house temple of the royal family at the Kremlin Palace. And the protopresbyter of the Annunciation Cathedral until the 20th century was the confessor of the most august persons. In March 1584, Ivan the Terrible saw a cruciform comet from the porch of the Cathedral of the Annunciation. "Here is the sign of my death," he said, and a few days later he was gone.

Cathedral of the Annunciation in the Moscow Kremlin

On this day, according to an ancient Russian tradition, after the Liturgy in the Annunciation Cathedral of the Kremlin, the patriarch, clergy and children release birds into the wild. This custom was revived in 1995 and is now performed in many temples.

According to the words of His Holiness the Patriarch, this tradition, full of deep meaning, “symbolizing that the birds are no longer in a cage, but free, reminds us that in our free will there is a search for the Kingdom of God.”

This tradition of the feast of the Annunciation was very fond of St. Patriarch Tikhon, on this holiday, he ended his confessional journey, letting his soul go to God.

The gospel words of the Archangel Gabriel and the righteous Elizabeth formed a well-known prayer - the Song of the Most Holy Theotokos: “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice, Blessed Mary, the Lord is with you; Blessed are You in women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, as if the Savior gave birth to our souls.

In the Catholic tradition, it corresponds to the Ave Maria prayer - one of the most beautiful and famous chants in the world. Many pieces of music have been written on the text of the prayer. Among the authors of the music are Palestrina, Gounod (based on the Bach prelude), Dvorak, Verdi, Mascagni, Caccini, Liszt, Saint-Saens.

Franz Schubert's Ellen's Third Song is often inaccurately referred to as Schubert's Ave Maria, although the lyrics to which this music is actually taken from the German translation of Walter Scott's poem about the Celtic Lady of the Lake (Lady of the Lake, 1810) include only the first two words of the prayer. Subsequently, Ave Maria began to be sung entirely to the music of this song by Schubert, although the composer did not have this in mind.

In Russia, the feast of the Annunciation has always been treated with reverence. The Orthodox did not work on this day and strictly observed this rule. It was said that on this day "the girl does not weave braids, and the bird does not nest." The day of the Annunciation was considered the day of mercy. People visited prisoners in prisons, gave alms. For the poor, dinners were arranged in the royal chambers, during which the Sovereign himself presented the poor with generous alms.

The day of our salvation is the main thing, and the hedgehog from the age of mystery is a manifestation; The Son of God The Son of the Virgin happens, and Gabriel proclaims the good news. The same and we cry with him to the Theotokos: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you!

Kontakion of the feast, ch. eight
The chosen Voivode is victorious, as if having got rid of the evil ones, thankful we sing to Thy servants, the Mother of God, but as if having an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call Thee: rejoice, Bride of the Bride.

The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a great church Christian holiday. This is one of the main (twelfth) non-passing holidays. It was on the day of April 7 according to the Gregorian calendar (or March 25 according to the Julian calendar), according to the Gospel, that the archangel Gabriel descended from heaven to earth and announced to Mary that she would become the mother of the Savior of the human race. It happened at the moment when the girl was busy reading the book of the prophet Isaiah in the place where the birth of the Messiah is told. And Mary's desire to be involved in this event was so great that the Lord heard her and sent his heavenly messenger to her. Archangel Gabriel also revealed to Mary the name of her future son and spoke about his future greatness before people.

The establishment of the holiday took place in antiquity, references can be found starting from the 2nd century AD. Early Christians called it differently: "The Conception of Christ", "The Beginning of Redemption", "Annunciation of Christ", "Annunciation of the Virgin Mary". But it received its final name only in the middle of the 7th century AD. Now we know the holiday as the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos.

This event in the old days was considered the first of the holidays (the year began on this day, with the arrival of the spring equinox and the revival of nature), and therefore was especially revered. John Chrysostom called the Annunciation "the source of celebrations, the basis of all Christian festivities without exception." After all, the good news brought by the archangel Gabriel to the immaculate Virgin Mary gives rise to two more good news: the Nativity of Christ and Easter (Blessed Resurrection of Christ). Without the good news of the miraculous conception of the Son of God in the womb of an immaculate earthly woman, there would not have been the other two.

Christian traditions of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Our ancestors considered the Annunciation equivalent in role to Easter. They believed that on this day, even in hell, sinners are spared and given a rest from torment. Any work was strictly prohibited. It was believed that this holiday is so great that every living creature on Earth celebrates it. Even a stupid bird will not put a branch in the nest. And if she does this, the Lord will take away her wings as a punishment, forcing her to walk on the earth. There is a beautiful legend about a cuckoo that dared to make a nest on this great holiday. God punished her for this by making her a homeless widow with no family or children.

On the feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, any undertakings were forbidden from ancient times. Whether it's plowing, sowing or any other household chore. It was believed that any work begun on the Annunciation would certainly come out empty, fruitless, or even bring harm. And everything that will be planted on this day in the garden or in the field will certainly deteriorate and will not rise. From the day of the Annunciation, the peasants moved to live in the summer part of the hut, leaving only the elderly and the sick in the winter place. It was a sin to work in the evenings with a candle. And in some villages it was considered a sin to light a fire, both on the holiday itself and on the eve of it. Failure to comply with these rules promised the offender trouble for the next year.

But this day is not only covered with gloomy superstitions. There are a huge number of good, bright and touching signs. So, for example, the Annunciation was associated with the return of migratory flocks to their native places. And it was customary to release the birds caught or bought the day before. This action meant a bloodless sacrifice to nature in the name of a plentiful future harvest. Also, the feast of the Annunciation was considered the beginning of spring and new life. And the seeds consecrated on the eve of this day were stored until the start of sowing as a confirmation of God's blessing for a bountiful future harvest.

On the feast of the Annunciation, from ancient times it was considered a good deed to make fires. They burned old clothes, shoes, bedding, unnecessary wooden utensils. Huts and outbuildings were fumigated with the smoke of burning special herbal preparations. And between two blazing fires, it was customary to drive away livestock. It was believed that all these simple ritual actions can protect the house from damage and the evil eye, help get rid of everything old and acquire a new one, and protect animals from diseases and pests.

Another ancient tradition is the baking of prosphora. Prepare them for each member of the family. According to the number of people living in the house. After consecration in the church during the Annunciation service, these prosphora, having crumbled, are eaten. The crumbs are mixed into the grain intended for sowing, livestock feed, and even into honey, which is fed to bees. It is believed that if such feed is given to cattle, then the offspring and milk yield will be rich, the animals will get sick less. And the grain with crumbs in it promises, according to legend, a harvest from which barns will crackle. The bees that have eaten honey with crumbs of prosphora will bring so much honey to the hives that they will not eat it until next summer. The consecrated prosphora could be kept until the future Annunciation. And if someone was sick in the house, then they gave him a piece soaked in water. It is believed that this helped the patient to recover faster.

Annunciation - a celebration of new life

Since ancient times, the people associated the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos with the arrival of spring. This great holiday served as a symbol of prosperity, freedom and joy for people and nature. All the purest and most beautiful, which cannot be expressed in words. The jubilation of all things and the human soul. For every Christian, the feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos means hope for eternal life and the liberation of the human race from sin, which brings inevitable death. In a certain sense, this is a feast of feasts, which gives not only the hope of salvation, but salvation itself and the path to it.

Hello. The Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos is a great feast for all believers. In the bustle of days, many have forgotten about the traditions of celebrating the Annunciation. We will try to remember them so that we never forget and pass them on to our children.

MEET THE HOLIDAY WITH A BRIGHT SOUL!

What date is the Annunciation celebrated? In Orthodoxy, a special day is allocated for the Annunciation - April 7th. In 2017, after such a significant holiday, that is, on April 8, Lazarus Saturday comes, and then, on April 9, Palm Sunday. These days, especially revered by Christians, fall on Great Lent. As you know, many believers strictly observe this fast, not allowing themselves to eat meat. But on big holidays they can afford to eat fish and sip the church Cahors.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE HOLIDAY

The essence of the holiday lies in the name itself. "Annunciation" means that the good news is coming. If you look more closely, you can see that the whole point of Christian holidays is that a person is given two ways:

• the way of salvation is the righteous way,
• the path of evil, envy and darkness.

Even the young Virgin Mary was asked by an angel if she agreed that the Son of God, the Savior of the whole world, would be incarnated from her womb. Mary answered, “Let it be done unto me according to thy word,” humbly accepting God's word.

The icon dedicated to the Annunciation can be recognized by the archangel Gabriel holding a flower. What does flower mean? The flower is a symbol of good news. It was Gabriel who was given by God to carry the Good News to the people.

But the most joyful news in the world, he brought 2000 years ago to the Virgin Mary, who took a vow of virginity and gave her life to serve God. From this day begins the history of the holiday.

In ancient Judea, people who reached the age of 14 were considered adults. So the 14-year-old Virgin Mary, who until that time had been brought up in the temple, had to return to her home, or get married. But the vow of eternal virginity closed the way for Her to create an ordinary family. Then the priests of the temple found a very correct solution. They betrothed the Virgin Mary to the 80-year-old elder Joseph. Thus, Mary did not break the vow she made to the Lord.

So Saint Joseph became the guardian of the virginal purity of the future Mother of God. For four months the Blessed Virgin lived in the house of Joseph, devoting all Her time to reading the Holy Books and tireless prayers.

Behind this charitable occupation, the Angel found her, saying to Her: “Hail, Gracious!”. Archangel Gabriel announced to Her about that greatest grace: to become the Mother of the Messiah.

ANNUNCIATION IS THE COMING OF SPRING!

How is this holiday celebrated? On this day, since ancient times, there has been one of the most merciful traditions: to release birds from cages.

Today, church ministers do this, and before the revolution of 1917, many believers, observing traditions, brought cages with birds to worship, which were released after the service.

This action symbolized the human soul, languishing in the fetters of sin, but through the birth of the Savior, who took the sins of people upon himself, he receives hope for freedom. The service in the temple ends today with the release of white doves into the sky so that they bring the news to the angels about all the good deeds.

SIGNS FOR THE ANNUNCIATION

With the advent of spring, the people associated their aspirations for a good harvest. Therefore, there are many signs for April 7:

• If it is cold on the Annunciation, fog falls, or the day is marked by frost, then the year will be fruitful.
• If the swallows have not arrived yet, then the spring will be late and cold.
• A clear day on the Annunciation - to the fires.
• If April 7 is a day with rain, then wait for a dry summer.
• What day (weather) for the Annunciation, such for Easter.

OTHER SIGNS FOR THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD

• On the Annunciation, you can’t give or borrow anything, so as not to give away your health and good luck.
• On the Annunciation, you can’t work, get a haircut, even comb your hair, so as not to “confuse” your fate.
• On which day of the week April 7 falls, on that day you should not start new business for the whole year.

On April 7, Orthodox Christians celebrate one of the main church holidays. This event was a turning point for the entire Christian world: it marked the imminent arrival of the Son of God on earth for the salvation of all mankind.

The significance of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos in the religious world is enormous. On this significant day, the message from Heaven was revealed to the Virgin Mary that she would become the mother of the Son of God and bring him into the world from an immaculate conception.

Traditions and customs for the Annunciation

If strict fasting continues on this significant day, the church allows relaxation in honor of the celebration. Christians are allowed to eat fish products.

On April 7, work remains under the ban. You can do household chores that require attention, but you should refrain from idle pastime. Free time should be devoted to prayers, reflections on life and spiritual enlightenment. According to popular beliefs, on this day you can’t sew, knit and weave - this way you can invite trouble into the house and ruin relations with the household.

Particular attention is paid to birds during the holiday. They are set free to bring the good news of the good deeds and deeds of people to Heaven.

On the night of the Annunciation, it is customary to kindle bonfires to finally melt the winter cold and attract a warm spring. Garbage, old household items and any things that have become unusable are thrown into the fires.

The ashes from the fires on the Annunciation were taken to the garden and sprinkled on the beds in order to scare away pests and protect the crop from adversity.

Planted on this day and plants. It is believed that God himself blesses them for a quick shoot and an abundance of fruits.

After the service in the church, prosphora is brought home, which they treat to all household members. Leftovers and crumbs are usually given to pets, protecting them from disease and predatory animals.

Signs for the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Our ancestors carefully observed the weather on this day: rain promised a fruitful year, and thunder or thunder foreshadowed an abundance of nuts in the fall.

Fishermen on the Annunciation hoped for a good catch, because it meant that the fish in the reservoir would not be transferred and the bite would be throughout the year.

On the holiday, any swear words, quarrels and showdown were prohibited. Our ancestors believed that the whole year depends on how the day goes. A benevolent attitude, kindness and mutual assistance were required.

Swallows served as a good indicator of the weather: if they appeared before the holiday, then a warm winter was ahead.

On this day, nothing should be given away from home, so as not to spend a year in poverty and lack of money.

According to signs, the water consecrated on the Annunciation had healing properties and was used in case of illness of the household.

It is forbidden to wear new clothes on this day: according to legend, they quickly become unusable, and new outfits also do not please customers for long.

It is noteworthy that the weather that stood in the Annunciation reflected the weather for Easter.

The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a special day on which you can ask the Higher Forces for protection and patronage. Any of your desires, uttered from a pure heart and not containing self-interest, will surely come true. We wish you good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

07.04.2017 05:15

The holiday of all Christians, the Annunciation is a truly great day, which symbolizes one of the most important...

April 7 the Church celebrates the day Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary- one of the 12 main (twelfth) holidays in the Orthodox calendar.

Annunciation means "good" or "good" news. On this day, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and announced to Her the coming birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Savior of the world.

Until the age of 14, the Blessed Virgin was brought up in the temple, and then, according to the law, she had to leave the temple, as she had reached the age of majority, and either return to her parents or get married. The priests wanted to marry her, but Mary announced to them her promise to God - to remain forever a Virgin. Then the priests betrothed Her distant relative, the 80-year-old Elder Joseph, to take care of Her and protect Her virginity. Living in the Galilean city of Nazareth, in the house of Joseph, the Blessed Virgin Mary led the same modest and secluded life as in the temple.

Four months after the betrothal, an angel appeared to Mary when She was reading the Holy Scriptures and, going in to Her, said: “Hail, Blessed One! (that is, filled with the grace of God - the gifts of the Holy Spirit). The Lord is with you! Blessed are You among women." Archangel Gabriel announced to Her that She had found the greatest grace from God - to be the Mother of the Son of God.

Mary, perplexed, asked the Angel how a son could be born to one who does not know her husband. And then the Archangel revealed to Her the truth that he brought from Almighty God: “The Holy Spirit will find on You, and the power of the Most High will overshadow You; Therefore, the Holy One who is being born will be called the Son of God. Having comprehended the will of God and completely surrendering herself to it, the Most Holy Virgin answered: “Behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word."

“That event, which is called the Annunciation, means the conception of Jesus Christ,” recalls the professor of theology, deacon Andrei Kuraev. – The development of a new human life began in the bosom of Mary by the action of the grace of God. Mary did not conceive from God the Father, not from the Archangel Gabriel, and not from her betrothed husband Joseph. Cynical "physiological" arguments are best left to yourself - Christians know the laws of biology as well as skeptics, and therefore they talk about the Miracle. And the miracle consists not so much in the fact that the Virgin, who did not know her husband, began to bear a child, but that God Himself identified Himself with this child and with everything that will happen in His life. God doesn't just inhabit Virgo. Through the archangel Gabriel, He (the Almighty, Lord and Lord) humbly asks the consent of the maiden. And only when He hears human consent. May it be to me according to Thy word,” only then the Word becomes flesh.

This is how the gospel story begins. Ahead - Christmas and flight to Egypt, temptations in the desert and healing of the possessed, the Last Supper and arrest, the Crucifixion and Resurrection ... ".

The Annunciation is the day of the good news that a Virgin has been found throughout the human world, so believing in God, so deeply capable of obedience and trust, that the Son of God can be born from Her. The incarnation of the Son of God, on the one hand, is the work of God's love - the cross, affectionate, saving - and God's power; but at the same time, the incarnation of the Son of God is a matter of human freedom. Saint Gregory Palamas says that the Incarnation would have been just as impossible without the free human consent of the Mother of God, as it would have been impossible without the creative will of God. And on this day of the Annunciation, we contemplate the Virgin in the Mother of God, Who, with all her heart, with all her mind, with all her soul, with all her strength, managed to trust God to the end.

And the good news was truly terrible: the appearance of an angel, this greeting: "Blessed are you in women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb" could not but cause not only amazement, not only awe, but also fear in the soul of a virgin who did not know her husband - how is this could be?..

And here we catch the difference between the vacillating - albeit deep - faith of Zechariah, the father of the Forerunner, and the faith of the Mother of God. Zechariah is also told that his wife will have a son - naturally, in spite of her advanced age; and his answer to this message of God: How can this be? This can't happen! How can you prove it? What assurance can You give me?.. The Mother of God puts the question only this way: How can this happen to me - I'm a virgin? Her words: Behold, the Servant of the Lord; wake me according to your word...

The word "slave" in our present usage speaks of enslavement; in the Slavic language, a person who gave his life, his will to another called himself a slave. And She really gave Her life, Her will, Her destiny to God, accepting by faith — that is, incomprehensible trust — the news that She would be the Mother of the incarnate Son of God. Of her, the righteous Elizabeth says: Blessed is she who believed, for what shall be spoken to her from the Lord shall come to her...

In the Mother of God we find an amazing ability to trust God to the end; but this ability is not natural, not natural: such faith can be dug out in oneself by a feat of love for God. A feat, for the fathers say: Shed blood, and you will receive the spirit ... One of the Western writers says that the incarnation became possible when the Virgin of Israel was found, Who, with all her thought, with all her heart, with all her life, was able to pronounce the Name of God so that It became flesh in Her.

From this feast, “the main point of our salvation,” that spring of “living water” begins, which later turns into a wide river and, finally, into a boundless sea of ​​New Testament miracles, sacraments and the Grace of the Holy Spirit, by which the Lord, “giving the Spirit beyond measure, so generously watered those thirsty for truth! The Annunciation is the celebration of the Marriage of Heaven and Earth, when the blue sky descends to earth and combines with it. Annunciation - a "blue" holiday! In the eyes of a believer, everything turns blue on this day, everything becomes cleaner and more transparent. The sky is getting bluer, deeper. The air and waters turn blue, reflecting the cloudless sky; the first flowers are blue - snowdrops and violets; At night, the stars are blue. Human souls also become blue, becoming able to perceive the heavenly music of this wondrous holiday.

The proverb, which claims that even a bird does not make a nest on the Annunciation, allegorically calls us on this day to put aside everyday fuss and direct our thoughts to Heaven, to joyful communion with God.

According to a long tradition, on the Annunciation in many churches, announcing one of the greatest Christian holidays - the Annunciation, after the Liturgy, flocks of doves will fly into the sky from the steps of Orthodox churches, reminiscent of the mysterious grace-filled action of the Holy Spirit. Snow-white wings are at the same time a symbol of the purity of the Most Holy Theotokos. That is why the earth “brings to Her as a gift” tender, defenseless birds, personifying peace and good news since ancient times. It has been noticed that Annunciation pigeons reluctantly leave the church fence and circle over the holy place for a long time.

Nazareth: City of the Good News

Nazareth is located among the low (up to 500 m) mountains of Galilee. It is located in a hollow between two mountain ranges, below the level of the Mediterranean Sea, so the climate there is warm. Its population is mainly Arab. Jews have their own quarter on one of the mountain peaks (the so-called Upper Nazareth) ... more

The history of the establishment of the holiday

The bright feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos has been celebrated by the church, presumably since the 4th century. Perhaps it originally originated in Asia Minor or Constantinople, and then spread throughout the Christian world. The establishment of the holiday was facilitated by the discovery of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Elena at the beginning of the 4th century of the holy places of the Savior's earthly life and the construction of churches in these places, including the basilica in Nazareth, on the site of the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin. The definition of the time of the celebration depended on the day of the Nativity of the Savior - exactly nine months pass between March 25 and December 25, the prescribed period for gestation in the womb of a baby.

The source near which the Annunciation took place

Among the ancient Christians, this holiday had a different name: the Conception of Christ, the Annunciation of Christ, the Beginning of Redemption, the Annunciation of the Angel of Mary, and only in the 7th century it was given the name Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos in the East and West.

This holiday has been established since ancient times. Its celebration is known already in the III century (see the words of St. Gregory the Wonderworker on this day). In his conversations, St. John Chrysostom and Blessed. Augustine mentions this feast as an ancient and common church celebration. During the 5th-8th centuries, due to heresies that humiliated the Face of the Mother of God, the holiday was especially exalted in the Church. In the 8th century, St. John of Damascus and Theophanes, Metropolitan of Nicaea, composed the feast canons, which are now sung by the Church.

Video story by Ivan Dyachenko:

The meaning of the holiday

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh:“The Annunciation is the day of the good news that a Virgin has been found throughout the human world, so believing in God, so deeply capable of obedience and trust, that the Son of God can be born from Her. The incarnation of the Son of God, on the one hand, is the work of God's love - the cross, affectionate, saving - and God's power; but at the same time, the incarnation of the Son of God is a matter of human freedom. St. Gregory Palamas says that the Incarnation would have been just as impossible without the free human consent of the Mother of God, as it would have been impossible without the creative will of God. And on this day of the Annunciation, we contemplate the Virgin in the Mother of God, Who, with all her heart, with all her mind, with all her soul, with all her strength, managed to trust God to the end.

And the good news was truly terrible: the appearance of an angel, this greeting: Blessed are you in women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, they could not help but cause not only amazement, not only trembling, but also fear in the soul of a virgin who did not know a husband - how is this could be?..

And here we catch the difference between the wavering - albeit deep - faith of Zechariah, the father of the Forerunner, and the faith of the Mother of God. Zechariah is also told that his wife will have a son - naturally, in spite of her advanced age; and his answer to this message of God: How can this be? This can't happen! How can you prove it? What assurance can You give me?.. The Mother of God puts the question only this way: How can this happen to me - I'm a virgin? Her words: Behold, the Servant of the Lord; wake me according to your word...

The word "slave" in our present usage speaks of enslavement; in the Slavic language, a man who gave his life, his will to another called himself a slave. And She really gave Her life, Her will, Her destiny to God, accepting by faith – that is, incomprehensible trust – the news that She would be the Mother of the incarnate Son of God. Of her, the righteous Elizabeth says: Blessed is she who believed, for what shall be spoken to her from the Lord shall come to her...

In the Mother of God we find an amazing ability to trust God to the end; but this ability is not natural, not natural: such faith can be forged in oneself by the feat of purity of heart, the feat of love for God. A feat, for the fathers say: Shed blood, and you will receive the Spirit ... One of the Western writers says that the Incarnation became possible when the Virgin of Israel was found, Who, with all her thought, with all her heart, with all her life, was able to pronounce the Name of God so that It became flesh in Her.

Here is the gospel that we have just heard in the Gospel: the human race gave birth, brought to God as a gift the Virgin, Who was able in Her royal human freedom to become the Mother of the Son of God, who freely gave herself for the salvation of the world. Amen".

Prayer to the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Troparion to the pre-feast
Today, the beginnings of the pre-holiday sing of the joys of the world command: Behold, Gabriel comes, bearing the gospel to the Virgin, and cries out to Her: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you.

Today, the beginnings of world joy are ordered to sing hymns before the holiday, for behold, Gabriel brings the Virgin good news, and exclaims: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you!

Troparion, tone 4
The day of our salvation is the main thing, and even from the age of the sacrament, the Son of God, the Son of the Virgin happens, and Gabriel proclaims the gospel, the same we cry with him to the Theotokos: Rejoice, Gracious, the Lord is with you.

Now is the beginning of our salvation and the discovery of the mystery that was presented before all ages: the Son of God - the Son of the Virgin happens, and Gabriel preaches the gospel. Therefore, we will exclaim to the Theotokos with him: Rejoice, O Gracious One, the Lord is with you!

Kontakion, tone 8
The victorious governor of the chosen one, as if having got rid of the evil ones, with thanksgiving, we will write down Thy servants, the Mother of God, but as if having an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call Ty: rejoice, Bride of the Bride.

To you, the supreme Commander, having got rid of troubles, we, Your unworthy servants, Mother of God, sing a song of victory and thanksgiving. You, as having invincible power, free us from all troubles, so that we cry out to You: rejoice, Bride who has not entered into marriage!

magnificence
The Archangelic voice crying out to Thee, Pure One: Rejoice, O Gracious One, the Lord is with Thee.

With the words of the Archangel, we cry out to You, Pure One: “Rejoice, O Gracious One, the Lord is with You

Choruses
Bless the earth, great joy; praise, heaven, the glory of God.

Earth, proclaim great joy, heavens, praise the glory of God!

Irmos of the 9th song
Like an animated God's kivot, / let the hand of the wicked never touch. / The mouth of the faithful, the Theotokos, silently, / the voice of an angel singing, / let them cry with joy: / rejoice, full of grace, / the Lord is with you.

Let the animate Ark of God / by no means be touched by the hand of the uninitiated, / but the lips of the faithful do not stop, / singing the exclamation of the Angel, / in joy to the Mother of God cry out: / Rejoice, Gracious, / the Lord is with you!

Holy Fathers on the Annunciation

Saint Elijah Minyatiy. Word on the Annunciation of the Mother of God:

How different are God and man! But God, having become a man, did not leave the nature of the Divine in the perception of the flesh. And how different are the Virgin and the Mother! But the Virgin, having become the Mother, did not lose the glory of virginity in maternal womb. What a strange communion of two natures - Divine and human, inextricably united into one hypostasis! The divine nature assimilated the peculiarities of the human, and God became a perfect man; the human became involved in the properties of the Divine, and the same man became perfect God.

In the same way, what an extraordinary combination of virginal purity and maternal womb, which, in a strange way, were combined in one Wife! Virginity gave the Mother the purity that the Mother of God was supposed to have, all pure, all immaculate, beautiful like the sun, chosen like the moon, as the Holy Spirit calls Her (See Songs 6, 9). The gestation gave virginity the blessing that the Virgin should have had in accordance with the way the archangel greeted Her: Blessed are you in women(Luke 1:28).

There was born this wonderful union - the God-man; here another conjunction takes place, just as miraculous, the Virgin Mother. “Strange and wonderful, and in many ways deviating from ordinary nature: the same Virgin and Mother, abiding in the sanctification of virginity and inheriting the blessing of childbearing,” declares the undeclared Basil. Such a Son, I repeat, must have such a Mother; the Son, Who was born a man and did not cease to be God, - the Mother, Who gave birth to the Son and did not cease to be a Virgin.

Saint Nicholas (Velimirovich):

“Never has any spring water been such a pure mirror of the sun as the Blessed Virgin Mary was a mirror of purity. (“O purity, creating joy to the heart and transforming the soul into heaven! O purity, good acquisition, not defiled by beasts! O purity, abiding in the souls of the meek and humble and creating these men of God! O purity, in the midst of the soul and body, like a flower, flourishing and filling the whole temple with incense! Rev. Efrem Sirin. about cleanliness.)

And the morning dawn, giving birth to the sun, would be ashamed before the purity of the Virgin Mary, who gave birth to the Immortal Sun, Christ our Savior. Which knee will not bow before Her, which lips will not cry out: “Rejoice, Blessed One! Rejoice, Dawn of human salvation! Rejoice, Most Honorable Cherubim and Most Glorious Seraphim! Glory to Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Father and the Holy Spirit - the Trinity of Consubstantial and Indivisible, now and forever, at all times and forever and ever. Amen ».

Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt. "The Beginning of Salvation". (Word on the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos):

“The sacrament that has taken place on this day astonishes not only human, but also all angelic, lofty minds. They also wonder how God, without beginning, boundless, impregnable, descended to the form of a slave and became a man, without ceasing to be God and without in the least belittling the glory of the Divine? How could the Virgin contain the unbearable fire of the Divine in her most pure womb, and remain undamaged, and remain forever the Mother of God incarnate? So great, wonderful, such divine wisdom is this sacrament of the annunciation by the Archangel to the Blessed Virgin of the incarnation of the Son of God from Her! Rejoice, earthly ones, rejoice, especially faithful Christian souls, but rejoice with trembling before the greatness of the sacrament, as if you were surrounded by the filth of sin; rejoice, but immediately cleanse yourselves with the grace of God from the filth of sin with sincere and living, deep repentance.

Exalt with pure hearts and lips the Mother of God, exalted and exalted above all creatures, angels and men, exalted by God Himself, the Creator of all creatures, and remember that the sacrament of the incarnation and incarnation of the Son of God took place for our salvation from sin, the curse that was righteously spoken on us in the beginning from God for sins, and from temporal and eternal death. With fear and joy, accept the Lord who is coming to us to establish on earth, in our hearts and souls the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of truth, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, and hate God-hating sin, malice, impurity, intemperance, pride, hardness of heart, unmercifulness, selfishness , carnality, every unrighteousness. Christ came down to earth to lead us to heaven.”